Every Cell In My Body is Happy

Every cell in my body is happy. 

I am in service to others and to a power greater than myself.

I learned this short mantra in Romania in the year 2000.  At the time I did not grasp its full meaning.  Does being happy affect our cells and promote good health and wellbeing?  The answer as I learned years later is yes and no.   There are 2 types of happiness; hedonic which is self gratification-happiness derived from an individual`s pleasurable experiences and eudaimonic- the happiness attained when serving and being connected to others. When the focus is off of I, me, and self-gratification, the cells in our body respond with increased cellular energy and prolongation of the life of the cells.   The cells in our body are fluid and permeable and are influenced by external stimuli. It is a well-known fact that the rapid division and destruction of healthy cells hallmark cancer.  

Moreover, positive emotions themselves do not promote and enhance wellbeing.  The cells in our body need the interconnectedness and satisfaction attained when we are in service to others.

It is not always easy to be eudaimonic in our happiness.  Meditation is the simplest way to eudaimonic happiness.   A consistent, daily meditation practice affects the DNA strands in the body`s cells- the ends called telomeres promoting longevity of the telomeres which protect the cells from destruction.   The meditative state also increases cellular energy helping the physical body function properly and fights off disease.

Which happy do you choose?  You are empowered for wellbeing.